


Little Red Riding Hood

by ComingandGoingByBubble



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/F, Little Red Riding Hood - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:44:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6514939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComingandGoingByBubble/pseuds/ComingandGoingByBubble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being deserted by her drivers and carriage, Glinda is forced to walk amongst The Dark Forest where there are rumors that the Wicked Witch of the West is still alive and hiding in, where apparently the Animals and animals are her spies, and where Glinda encounters more than one big bad wolf of her own...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She still dreamed of Elphaba even though she knew she was gone. The blonde woman couldn't help what her unconscious dreamed of but she wished with her heart that her mind would stop torturing her.

But she didn't know whether to be thankful or not when her carriage suddenly stopped, sending her head flying into the interior of the transportation vehicle and her dream ended right there. Her recurring dream about Elphaba not dying was over for the moment by the jolt.

Rubbing her now sore head with a hand, Glinda woke up to find that it was now nighttime, nearly midnight if her calculations were correct. The moon hung high up in the sky, shining down on the tree-infested forest she was now near.

A sigh escaped her lips as her mind began to focus on reality instead of her dream. Her skirts shuffled as she reached for her red velvet cloak to wrap around herself in the cold night air. She exited the carriage quite cross and strode over to where her drivers were. The horses were neighing and backing away from the entrance of the forest as if they were scared of something.

"What is the matter?" snapped Glinda, irritated that she had to leave the warm carriage and venture out into the night air that whipped around her. The blonde woman shivered even in her cloak as she waited for them to answer her.

"Well, Ma'am the horses have stopped. They won't go any further, we tried coaxing them with apples and treats, we even whipped them a few times but there's no use," explained her head driver, Maxan.

Glinda huffed, her patience wearing ever so thin.

"There is no time for dilly-dallying boys, I need to be home in the morning for my speech," pressed Glinda. She shifted her weight to her other foot as another bout of cold air wrapped itself around her body.

"We're trying, Your Goodness," piped up her other driver, "But these are the Dark Forest Woods we're going to be traveling through. The horses have a good reason not to want to go in there."

Glinda was neither impressed by the mystery he told, nor interested.

"Let me guess," she cut in quite shrilly, "There are lions and tigers and bears in there?" She struggled not to roll her eyes at the stupidity that seemed to be in the majority of her fellow Ozians at this point in time. She expected him to say yes, and was a little surprised when he didn't.

"No, Your Goodness. The local people at the village say that the Wicked Witch is still alive and that she lives in there. They say that she magicked the forest and that the animals who inhabit it are her spies. Some even said that they-"

"That's quite enough of that silly nonsense!" snapped Glinda harsher than she had ever spoken to her servants before. Her words echoed in silence. She had had enough of the citizens of Oz 'seeing' Elphaba everywhere. Glinda knew that she was dead, or at least she thought she knew. Though with the number of sightings and rumors had made the Good Witch have doubts, she pushed them away, not ready for more heartache if she actually believed one of them and then it turned out to be fake.

"Well, um Your Goodness," sputtered out Maxan with his head hanging low, "I don't think it's silly nonsense. I believe that the Witch really inhabits these woods, and I- I won't go a step further into that forest."

Glinda was flabbergasted. She stared at them both with her mouth hanging wide open and her eyes glaring.

"You're joking?" she asked in a grave voice.

He shook his head and Glinda let out a shriek of frustration. She was too tired, too angry, and all she wanted to was to go home and these people wouldn't let her because of some stupid myth.

"And what about you, Yackly? Do you believe this allegation?" she asked, her voice as cold as ice.

He too did not look at her, "I do, Ma'am, " he managed to get out shamefully.

Cursing under her breath, Glinda bit her lip hard and settled her hands on her thin hips as she pondered over to what to do.

"Well, you're not just going to leave me, are you?" she asked after a moment, "Surely there is some other way we can go to get back home…"

Maxan was the one to break the news to her, "Well, there actually isn't. We can't go back now; it will take us days to get back on the main road. The horses branched off on a different trail a mile back and we couldn't find the main road anywhere… so we're stuck here."

"And neither of you bothered to tell me that we were on the wrong course?" Glinda all but screamed.

The two drivers looked scared of her now, "Well," started Yackly, "We were going to but we thought we'd end up on the main road eventually. We didn't know we were headed… here."

Glinda seethed, her hands gripped the soft velvet fabric of her cloak that hid her white chiffon dress tightly.

A wolf howled in the distance and although Glinda didn't seem to notice both Yackly and Maxan flinched at the sound.

"Well, pity for you two," she spat out in anger.

She quickly decided that she was going home no matter what and she hiked up her skirts and began walking through the prickly bushes and coarse trees.

Her red cloak billowed out all around her from the wind and Glinda had walked quite a ways before she realized that neither Yackly nor Maxan had followed her.

Disappointment, anger, fear, and a sense of determination all slowly welled up inside of the woman. Stopping for a moment Glinda took in her surroundings while the owls hooted, the squirrels scurried along the forest floor, the wolves howled, and the birds sang their nighttime lullabies.

The moonlight shone in through cracks in the forest canvas as Glinda walked on, determined to get to at least a nearby village before dawn broke.

"Those fools," she muttered to herself, "thinking that Elphaba is still alive and hiding in these woods… there is nothing to fear here."

But her feelings of fear hadn't developed fully until she heard rustling and cracks of branches and leaves from behind her as she rested for a while. Her body was exhausted from walking in her laced up boots, and she sat down next to a tree. With her body resting on the tree, she closed her eyes for a moment and relished in the peace and quiet of the darkness.

Panting of some sorts that was coming from behind the tree disturbed her peace and quiet. Nervous for the first time in the forest, Glinda swallowed hard and wondered if she even should look behind her. She now wished that she had been really listening to what Yackly and Maxan had been telling her earlier. She could only hope that it wasn't a killer beast, or a murderer or a rapist. Summoning up all of her courage Glinda peered around the trunk to see gleaming gold eyes staring at her.

Scurrying away from the eyes quickly, Glinda unsteadily got to her feet and trembled with horrible fear.

She heard slight laughter coming from where she had seen the eyes and that only frightened her even more.

Suddenly a large animal emerged from its hiding spot deep in the woods, its silvery fur coat gleaming like newly polished silver. Its golden eyes stared at Glinda and the wolf licked his chops hungrily.

"Stay- stay away!" but Glinda's command was futile as her voice trembled and shook.

She backed up even further away from the wolf and she was horrified when a chuckle seemed to escape from its lips.

The wolf's eyes seemed to roam over her body as the wolf paced in a circle around her, its huge paws pressing into the dirt below in a beat.

"Don't you worry, dearie…" said the wolf as it stopped pacing right in front of her. The fact that the wolf could speak startled Glinda and seemed to make her freeze with fear while the wolf took a few steps forward so that he was mere inches from her, "I wouldn't hurt a pretty little morsel like you. I just want to help you…you know, help you get to Grandma's house…"

The wolf appeared to smile for a moment before snarled and snapped its glistening teeth at Glinda, as if in warning.

"Wait, please!" cried out Glinda raising one arm over her face as if that would protect her. Her mind raced as she thought of a plan. She remembered what her driver had said about the animals being Elphaba's spies…

"I know Elphaba!" she shouted as she heard the wolf crouch down, prepared to pounce on her.

Opening her eyes, which she hadn't realized she had shut in the first place, Glinda saw that her words had stopped the wolf.

"Do you really?" he asked, still crouched. Those golden orbs of his seemed to swirl as he stared her down.

"Yes, I do. We used to be friends…" Glinda whispered, ready to tell him everything if it kept him from eating her.

Silence filled the forest for a few seconds as the Wolf pondered over that.

"Well then," he said as he straightened his massive body, "That changes everything if you know her…"

Glinda remained somewhat doubtful, "It does?" she asked in high-pitched voice as she slowly lowered her arm to look at the Wolf.

"Yes," The Wolf looked at her with a resemblance of a sly smile on its furry face, "It does. Now come on Blondie, I'll take you to see her…"

Doubt and fear now seeped into Glinda's body as she watched the Wolf stealthily begin to walk away, deeper into the forest.

"You coming or what?" asked the Wolf as it turned its head to look at her, "Don't worry, Blonde you can trust me now…"

But Glinda didn't know if she really could, and she voiced that.

"Can I really?" she asked, her voice still trembling but it had regained some composure.

The Wolf shook its head at her. He turned and showed her a half-smile half smirk.

"Guess we're going to find out, aren't we?" he said as he started walking once more.

The hope of maybe seeing Elphaba again consumed Glinda though she sorely wished it hadn't, and that it also hadn't involved a Wolf taking her to see her old friend. But the hope was too great to suppress and before she knew it, Glinda was walking besides the Wolf.


	2. Chapter 2

The forest was silent except for the footsteps of Glinda and the paw-steps of the Wolf.

"So how do you know Elphaba?" asked Glinda trying to make some conversation as she stepped over a large fallen tree. She tugged on her red hood to cover more of her head for it was starting to get very chilly in the night air.

"I work for her," answered the Wolf.

Glinda eyed him suspiciously, it wasn't everyday she came across an Animal who outright claimed to be on Elphaba's side.

"Why?" It was a stupid question but she felt compelled to ask it all the same.

"Because she needs protection, and I'm rather good at giving it," the Wolf chuckled to himself as they walked along the path, "You don't sound too convinced of my position, Lady Glinda..."

Glinda grew red in the face, she had gotten quite suspicious and presumptious over the years since Elphaba's death, a side effect of living in the cynical land of Oz.

"I'm not just not as trustworthy as I used to be, that's all," the blonde brushed off her gut feeling. She did not like the look of this. Here she was all alone in the woods, her servants had already fled, her horses scattered... It was just her and the Wolf in the deepest corner of the forest.

A breeze caused her to shiver and she had hardly noticed that the Wolf had stopped walking.

"You know she's never talked about you before, I only know that you and her were friends because of the rumors one hears around these parts. But she's never confirmed it," the Wolf walked over to a large tree and pressed up against the nearest branch, causing a bell like sound to erupt.

"Yes, well," Glinda looked down at her hands and stopped moving, "She and I didn't part on the best of terms... but we were friends once."

Just speaking of her brought back memories to Glinda's mind. A flash of Elphaba reading in their dorm room, of their trip to the Emerald City. It came back to Glinda in such a fashion that she could feel a lump forming in her throat. For a few weeks after Elphaba's death, she had tried to convince herself that maybe it wasn't true that maybe she could have one last chance to have Elphaba forgive her for all that she had done. But everyday she told herself the lies, the more despaired the blonde got. After a while She had to desperately make herself believe that Elphaba was dead just for her own sake, for her own sanity. But even still, the memory of her had never ceased to exist. She was a ghost that never seemed to fade away from Glinda's life.

"Stay here, she'll be out presently" warned the Wolf as he heard a snapping noise and walked away calmly to wherever Elphaba was hiding out.

Glinda took the moments of quiet to relish in her memories. After years of suppressing any conscious thoughts of Elphaba, it did her heart good to really dwell on her friend. She didn't think it strange that Elphaba had Animals protecting her, they did, after all, owe a lot to her for trying to save them. And her friend's isolated nature didn't bother her either. What bothered the blonde the most about this whole ordeal was that, not once, did Elphaba tell her that she was alive. Not a word.

In truth, it hurt the blonde that she hadn't been told a single word. She had thought of herself as one of Elphaba's most trusted friends.

It was then that a loud crack dissolved her trip down memory lane. The blonde looked up so fast that her hood fell off her head and revealed those luscious golden curls.

"Elphaba?" her sapphire eyes landed on a figure concealed in darkness and she took a brave step forward.

She couldn't see any better, her eyes squinted but she still could not make out whether it was a person or the Wolf in the distance.

"What do you want?" The voice was crisp, angry... and most definitely Elphaba's. Glinda recognized it immediately. Her heart leaped.

"I wanted to see for myself if the legends were true, about you living out here in the woods..." Her voice quivered but it was just because of the coldness of the air.

"You shouldn't have come here," Elphaba said sharply. She then made a move towards the blonde.

Thanks to the moonlight, Glinda could finally make out the figure and she saw that it was indeed Elphaba. Clothed in a black wolf's skin dress she looked like a wild creature, one much like the Wolf that had brought Glinda here.

"You don't have to hide anymore, Elphaba," The blonde felt tears forming in her eyes. Her life long repressed dream was true. Elphaba was alive. There was pain filling her heart but it was the good kind of pain.

"As long as there are people who fear me and who want me dead, then I do have to hide," snapped back Elphaba.

"It's been ten years," pointed out the blonde, "People have almost forgotten your existence, please come back Elphaba, I can make this all right again."

"You stupid blonde, "Elphaba said hoarsely, as if she was on the verge of tears, "You still believe that you can make the world right again with a simple smile and wave of your wand, but you can't! You can't fix what's happened to me, what you let happen to me."

"But I can try!" Glinda stepped towards Elphaba and touched her face softly, "I promise, I'll try."

Elphaba looked down at the snow covered ground in thought. She seemed to be contemplating Glinda's offer.

The blonde waited for an answer, all the while watching the snow fall gently from the sky to the ground... It was so peaceful... so quiet. She wondered briefly where the Wolf went to.

"It's too late," Elphaba already had her mind made up and the blonde's heart stung at those words.

"But, Elphie-" A green hand put up in protest stopped her plea and she went silent.

"You really shouldn't have come here, Glin... you must know about the legends... of people and their unfortunate accidents here in the forest" Elphaba continued to keep her hand up, but her fingers curled inward as if she was regretting something that was forthcoming.

Glinda's mind suddenly thought of what her drivers had said earlier to her... and dread filled her entire being.

"But that doesn't have to happen to me, Elphie! I'll just lie and say I was never in here," but the blonde knew it was useless.

Elphaba's eyes suddenly flashed and it was like a switch had been turned on in her. She seemed to transform on a dime into the creature, the witch that the citizens of Oz had made her out to be.

"Grendsky saw your drivers run off, other people know that you were here. I can't..." Elphaba closed her eyes bitterly, "I'm not about to go and ruin the reputation I have because of you." Her voice had turned sharp and that anger was back in her tone. Glinda shivered because of the iciness of Elphaba's voice. It wasn't like her... and Glinda reminded herself that this person, this wasn't her Elphie... this was the Wicked Witch of the West.

"The citizens of Oz will have a massive manhunt for you if you kill me... they'll be up in arms," Glinda tried her best to stay strong but the realization was closing in on her and she was finding it harder and harder to keep calm. She hated what she and the rest of Oz had done to Elphaba, hated how hardened they had made her... how wicked.

"They haven't stopped me before, what makes you think they'll be able to at last?" The Witch sneered and stepped back into the darkness.

"I'm not afraid of you... I never have been, Elphie," She hoped that the use of the endeared nickname might help her cause, but it seemed to only hurt.

Those dark eyes which were only a few minutes ago filled with tears were now filled with anger and rage.

"Everyone else is, though... thanks to you," Elphaba half laughed and gave a wicked smirk.

"It doesn't have to be like this... I'm sorry that you hate for me for what Oz did to you, but you have a chance to make it right and you're acting like it's not even being presented to you!" Glinda was desperate. She could hear the wolves, Elphaba's other spies, growling in the darkness closing in on her.

"It's too late for that."

The blonde felt tears well up in her eyes at that point. She could see that there was no point in fighting with her anymore. She was going to lose, and it was going to cost her.

"I hope you're happy then, with letting yourself be stuck in the mind frame that you still believe that everyone sees you as wicked, because I never saw you like that... and you know it."

Her throat was thick with unshed sadness and she blubbered a hasty goodbye to Elphaba, who seemed to be struggling with her own emotions as well.

But it was soon after that that Glinda heard the snarls and hissing of the wolves and she knew her fate was sealed.

For a brief moment, she scolded herself for not listening to her drivers... for being so hopelessly foolish to believe that Elphaba still remembered their friendship that she would spare her.

She looked up to see glowing gold eyes staring at her, even though she longed it to be those dark eyes she once looked at so often and so fondly.

She gulped. After all, they had warned her against going into the woods and the dangerous creatures it contained. She had been so stupidly foolish to think that she could not be harmed.

She hoped that for Elphaba's sake, if not her own, that she would finally come to terms with everything.

"Sorry Blondie," the Wolf's apology snapped her out of her reverie, "Boss' orders."

She nodded, submitting herself to the very real fact that she was going to die.

A breeze carrying a whirlwind of snowflakes blew against the sky and she could feel the stinging coldness of the snow against her skin.

She hadn't even heard the Wolf pounce her mind too occupied on the stinging coldness that was seeping into her heart. But by then, it was too late.

The red cape that she had been wearing was snatched up soon after the mess was done away with, and soon the rumors about the Witch inhabiting the woods disappeared... and new ones arose about a woman with a red cloak living in the woods.

But no one ever went into the woods after Glinda the Good's death... which all citizens thought was the last crime the Wicked Witch ever committed, and they praised this "Red Riding Hood" for supposedly eliminating their enemy.

She was a mysterious figure, this Red Riding Hood, for she traveled with packs of wolves and no one ever saw her face. Only the cloak, for if one did happen to glance upon her face they would have seen that it was green.


End file.
